Thumbmunkeys Ltd

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director at Stonewood & Partners LTD, a building surveyor firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We needed their team to develop our mobile application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve thought of optimizing our data collection process through a more modern, reliable, and automated platform, which Thumbmunkeys Ltd has helped us build. 

During our initial meetings, we’ve relayed our needs to their team and the existing features of our platform. They’ve then communicated their modification suggestions to us and kicked off the development process upon securing our approval.

Thumbmunkeys ltd continues to support our development pipeline by managing our app updates. We’re currently working on the app’s third version, which we’ll launch within a month.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Stefan (Director).

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We found Thumbmunkeys Ltd on Google while searching for London-based developers. They offered us a competitive quote and concrete plans for our project, so we decided to onboard their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £60,000–$80,000 so far (approximately $83,000 to $111,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership with Thumbmunkeys Ltd kicked off in February 2020.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd has successfully delivered a platform that’s improved our processes — our surveyors are especially pleased with our more efficient and updated platform, which allows them to manage their time more effectively and boosts their productivity rate.

Overall, everyone’s just happy with Thumbmunkey Ltd’s work, and they’ve helped us meet our main goal of having a more seamless and issue-free survey process.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd is a flexible and deadline-oriented team. We’ve recently relayed some change requests to their team concerning the current version of our app, and they’ve quickly accommodated these by addressing the issues right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Any development work is challenging, but Thumbmunkeys Ltd makes the process more digestible for us — they’re always ready to address our questions and concerns. 

Stefan has been especially helpful in making sure that all our needs are met. The amount of work and time he puts into this project is immense, and we can’t thank him enough for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can benefit from a more refined development process to help them flesh out more quality results. Additionally, I think it’s time for them to expand their team as there’s an increasing demand for their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time with your specification as time spent here will reap massive rewards down the line in terms of reducing time spent revisiting processes that have not originally been thought.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Ag-drive, an app for farmers and agricultural contractors to help eliminate the paperwork for farm businesses. As a boss, I can send a job to an operator directly to the field,  they carry out the work and we can monitor certain aspects, including seeing exactly where they’re going across the field. When the job is completed, we get notified again. We can then send the job report to the customer. 

The app is also integrated into accounting packages such as Xero and QuickBooks. There are loads of other functions in terms of timesheets and invoicing, field mapping, job records, etc.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We needed someone to help develop our cloud-based customized platform to eliminate a paper-based timesheet for farmers and agriculture contractors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd developed an open-ended application with a multitude of features that our clients can customize. We use GPS to record where our operators are throughout jobs and push notifications to signal the beginning and end of jobs. There are also QuickBooks and Xero integrations that allow us to send job reports and draft invoices directly to our client’s QuickBooks environments. This saves a lot of time. Finally, the app contains field maps that allow us to upload shape files, as well as a system where people can map fields on a Google Maps overlay. 

We approached Thumbmunkeys Ltd with a dedicated checklist and requested that they leave the app open-ended. Our system is fully customizable, rather than full of pre-sets, which makes it usable in a number of industries and not just agriculture. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with Mark (Director), though I speak directly with the developers now because I’ve built a relationship with them. There are about three people I speak to in total. 

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

I spoke to a few developers, and Thumbmunkeys Ltd stood out to me as the ones who properly knew how to develop apps.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000–$199,999 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2021. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We recently launched the platform, and I’m very happy with it. Some of the feedback I’ve received from contractors has been very good. We’re only in the first couple of months of the project and the current users say it’s fantastic. It’s going to be a game-changer in the industry.

We had an MVP ready by April and went to market with 20 different farm businesses in May. The proper launch took place in early June. Now, we have over 50 businesses signed up and 300 users on the app. Since we’re in harvest season at the moment, those numbers are very good, and especially so when you consider that we haven’t even marketed the app. It’s spread through word of mouth so far. 

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good. We have daily and weekly meetings over Microsoft Teams; this face-to-face communication helped us during the wireframe process to ensure nothing was lost in translation. 

I tell my points of contact what I want, and they deploy it to the rest of their team on Microsoft Teams. If anything was going to take a bit more time than expected, then they tell me ahead of time. They’ve been very good with timing, even with the added pressure of their developers having to work from home. Even if it’s on Sunday, I always have someone to talk to; there isn’t a time I can’t get a hold of them.  

What they’ve done during the pandemic is unbelievable. They’re world-class.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The biggest advantage for me is that I can always communicate very well with Thumbmunkey. They’re always available and have been very efficient given the circumstances. The pandemic and a tight timeline have put them under a tremendous amount of pressure; they pretty much had to build an app in three months. I know they worked late nights to deliver the project, and I can’t be thankful enough for that. Thumbmunkey’s team always goes the extra mile for us. 

The skill and knowledge of their developers are impressive. Thumbmunkey is very good at understanding what I need and want and then developing wireframes that I can tweak. They’ve been able to bring my ideas to life. The level of service I get from them is unbelievable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I took a lot of communication for granted at the beginning of the project and clarity suffered. Now, we’re much more clear with one another and we take everything step by step. Approval stages always take place. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly outline what you want to achieve. You can’t put information down in an email, forget about it, and then not reply. Maintain high levels of communication all the time. Thumbmunkey will be much more efficient if they don’t have to take a second pass over your app. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an offshore assistant driller at a drilling company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We needed their team to develop a CRM system for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company wanted to have a system that could automate our business processes, so I was initially tasked with creating a spreadsheet to keep track of our displacement data and calculation. Once I completed that, I handed over the data to Thumbmunkeys Ltd, and their team developed all the functionalities and integrations needed to complete our CRM system. 

During our brainstorming session, I mentioned that we needed a platform that could keep our data safe and accessible to employees, so their team also took those specifications into account. Upon the platform’s completion, we remained in contact with them for additional plugins and features that improved the flow of our system.

What is the team composition?

My initial point of contact was Mark (Director), and we worked with a project manager who was in charge of relaying each of their team’s wireframe updates to us.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We were searching for development agencies via Google when we came across Thumbmunkeys Ltd’s website. We were impressed with their portfolio and slick-looking website, so we immediately contacted Mark to express our interest in partnering with their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £20,000 (approximately $27,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project ran from September–December 2018.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I can’t speak of any business metrics as I don’t have access to such data. However, I tested the platform, and it worked like a charm — everything was functioning fantastically and all the integrations were strategically placed into the system. My colleagues were delighted to have a faster and more accurate tool that could streamline our operations.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd had impressive communication skills. We mainly used Microsoft Teams to interact with their team members, and they always made sure to deliver project updates on time. Additionally, all tasks were properly delegated among their resources.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd was a reliable partner — we could always trust them to understand our needs without any questions. I wasn’t equipped with ample tech knowledge, but their team was always willing to educate me on the different tools and terms that were integral in our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t find any areas that needed improvement. They delivered what we wanted and communicated effectively as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd is an expert team that can deliver your needs by bringing productive ideas to the table — just make it a point to listen to what they have to say.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital innovation manager for a police department.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

Our constable wanted to be able to see where his police cars were.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thumbmunkeys Ltd developed a mobile and desktop-based location app for our police department. We did research on different Taxi apps. We investigated what was possible with GPS. From there, Thumbmunkeys designed what the screen would look like for a frontend user.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mark (Director).

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We did some research on who could create the best app for us. They were a good match for us in terms of functionality and cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £20,000 (approximately $27,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020, and our work is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The product works, and it’s very stable. It’s very good so far, and we haven’t had any issues yet. The app is easy to use, and it makes our department more accountable. For example, we might get complaints from members of the public that they don’t ever see police down their street. With this app, we can show exactly how long we’ve been in the area.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

The team performs really well. They’ve met every deadline we’ve asked for. Overall, we’re very impressed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication stands out. We’re in phase two development, and Mark is really easy to get in touch with. He’s a very knowledgeable contact.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to stay engaged with the company. They’re very easy to talk to, and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible. I would recommend them to anyone.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of tred. We provide individuals with their carbon footprint through open banking on the mobile app. It also helps them offset that with the ambition of being carbon neutral.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We’re a startup and we needed a partner to develop our app. The project involved discovery, design, build, and deployment.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We developed a native iOS app with a .NET Core framework. They had to integrate a couple of third-party APIs in order to pull data from open banking. One provides the payment interface for a customer. The second provides the open bank API.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one of the directors and 2–3 from the team. One is our main point of contact and then we work with a designer and data architect.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

Someone recommended Clutch to me. I searched for companies that would support our size. We then created a shortlist of companies. Thumbunkeys Ltd. had many great reviews and their office was about 20 minutes away from ours.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from February–October 2020.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’re tracking the quality of their work. We’ve been blown away by the look, the feel, and the quality of the output. The app is better than we anticipated. The designs they came up with are brilliant.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They did well meeting our early deadlines. We have a very technical product, but the death has been in the detail.  There have been a few instances where our technical requirements didn’t translate well in the final deliverable. As a result, we’ve had to scrap a little bit of the development and start again.

Next time, we need to set more achievable deadlines. We also need to really nail down the technical specifications so that we are on the same page.

Their internal team has project management tools, but the only thing we had access to was Zeplin to look at design.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to take our early-stage idea and create an industry-leading product. AS a group, they were good at understanding our needs. When we were having a difficult time articulating what we wanted, they were able to extricate all the information they needed from us. Then they had the skill set needed to deliver what we wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We expected to launch the app a few months ago. They pulled out all the stops to achieve our deadline, but the last few hurdles are taking a long time. We should collaboratively agree on the timelines and create more specific technical requirements.

We’re now speaking to newer-age developers, and they recognized that Thumbmunkeys Ltd. is still using some older technology. I don’t think that’s a problem for them, but since they’re working with young startups, they need to be malleable and work with more modern tech.

They could also learn more about the startup world. We’ve received some valuable advice from other friends in the industry, and Thumbmunkeys Ltd. could learn more about that. For example, I recently learned about some tricks to get free AWS hosting for startups, and if Thumbmunkeys was more familiar with that, they could support startups better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ambitious because they can fulfill what you want. Make sure that you get down into the technical detail before you start building.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an embedded development manager for a test and diagnostic company. We also develop instrumentation for the tests.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd.?

We were looking for help developing a mobile app for iOS, as well as some UI work.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a fully developed native Android app they used as a model. They helped make an exact replica of the app for iOS, including the UI design.
The app was more focused on core technical APIs on the platform.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Stefan (Director) for management and logistics, and with the lead developer for technical queries.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd.?

They contacted our CEO to inform us of the services they offer. I was instructed to reach out to them about working on this project.

How much have you invested with them?

£10,000 - £20,000 (approximately $13,000 - $26,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We set up a few things at the end of April, but we worked on the project from May 2020 – June 2020.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The app is primarily being used by our commercial and management team. There is definite impact in our ability to show that we have iOS availability to our customers. We can demonstrate technology on Android and iOS now.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a short-term project, and we were satisfied. Perhaps a long-term project would’ve required more project management. The overall project delivery was excellent, and we had regular updates. We were on a short timeline to launch the demo. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were technically competent and knowledgeable. They clearly understood what we were trying to do, which was not the average mobile app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear specifications, and address anything you don’t like immediately. Work with them regularly; don’t just expect delivery at the end. They respond to your feedback.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity in the UK that looks  after the UK’s bumblebees. I’m the educational officer for a project called Pollinating the Peak that educates people about Bumblebees.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We wanted to find a new way to engage with a new audience. We’ve had apps before, but we were looking for something with a higher level of engagement and less formality. We were wanted something for a  beginner-level look at bumblebees that was simplistic and fun.

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was crucial and influential. We didn’t have a lot of experience with apps, so they held our hand and helped us navigate between iOS and Android. They were very accommodating in conversations about color schemes and layouts. They had their perspective but were very willing to listen to our perspective when it came to UI design.

They also developed AR so users could engage with bumblebees wherever they are. Users can open their camera and the app shows a 3D rendering of eight different species of bumblebee. Users can then share to social media or with friends and family.

What is the team composition?

I had one point of contact throughout the engagement, Mark.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We tendered for the app because we’re a charity and need to make sure the process is fair. We were looking to find a partner that was local. Their offer was the best value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in February 2020 and wrapped up in June.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our initial numbers are promising. Based on the number of people who generally interact with us, we’re pleased with engagement. The response on social media has been very positive. People are excited about it and it clearly works.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

It didn’t matter what time it was,  I was always able to reach Mark or he got back to me very quickly. When COVID-19 hit here, we tried even harder to push out the app because it’s a relevant way for people to engage with us without being face-to-face. They’ve been very supportive in that respect.

We rely on Mark to make sure that everyone on their team does their part and delivers on time. We also need him to pass on the information and ensure that everything is accurate. This is an educational resource and doesn’t have any artistic freedom, so the information needed to be correct.

We utilized Teams online and spoke on the phone. As thing ramped up, we talked on the phone twice a week and sent several emails a fay to make sure everything was going in the right direction.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They got the look and the feel right. The branding was spot on from the get-go. They did a really good job demonstrating what our organization is about and then were able to refine it. They did a really good job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our biggest obstacle is the AR there are a few hurdles we’re still working on. Some people don’t have devices that can support AR, which we’re disappointed about. Although that’s in the description, not everybody reads that. It has nothing to do with Thumbmunkeys Ltd’s work, but just something the general public is experiencing. It was just part of the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you spend more time on the initial review process because it’s more difficult to make changes later on in the process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former angling development officer for a charitable trust that looks after the rivers in Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset in the United Kingdom. We also run a payment for ecosystem services scheme, which enables farmers to sell fishing through a token system.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

They were to update an MVP that was created by a different company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team was involved with fixing bugs and making the code more robust. Particularly, they focused on adding UI/UX components that would help older users. They also added some new features to broaden the market. Primarily, they were responsible for increasing the stability of transactions and decreasing general page load speed. They used Xamarin to complete the work. 

What is the team composition?

From memory, there were about five people assigned to the work. I collaborated primarily with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We put out an invitation to tender through the UK government’s contract fund.  

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2019, and the scope of work was completed in December 2019.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

While the app is new to the marketplace, it generally runs faster than it did before. The few transactions we’ve facilitated so far have been faultless.  

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed and communicated well over Skype. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They used visual DevOps and provided me with a client login. With that, I could track the completion of each sprint. Throughout the engagement, I knew where we stood with progress toward our goals. That was fairly unique and helpful.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything for them to improve upon. Their responses were pretty technical in terms of jargon, but that’s likely because they knew that I’m a technical person.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a bespoke software development and integration company. I'm the director.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

We don't have any in-house expertise for mobile apps, so we hired them to build a full mobile app for a system we host.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is built for iOS and Android devices. We gave them the scope, but they were in charge of all the design and layouts. We relied on their knowledge to complete the project. They oversaw the look and feel and made it very easy for the end user, especially users who aren't particularly technologically familiar. We created the API, and they connected to that.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of three people who worked on this project, led by a project manager. There were also developers on the team to complete the project.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys Ltd?

Another company recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about £15,000 (approximately $19,600 USD) to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our in-house developers keep track of the timeline and their work. We're very happy with the results so far.

How did Thumbmunkeys Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They're outstanding project managers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their costs are lower than other companies in their field, but they deliver at the same level as their competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything they've done for us is good. We're pleased with the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We always maintain an open and honest approach with all our vendors. That keeps us informed about time frames and deliverables.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of Halo Insurance. We're part of a global insurance brand. Most of our platforms are websites, but we also have a mobile app and we deploy various widgets to other people's websites.

What challenge were you trying to address with Thumbmunkeys?

We were having issues with our Xamarin mobile app, so we were looking for a vendor to recode the app and fix some of the bugs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've broken down the code written by our previous provider and modularized it, eliminating bugs and errors. They're providing ongoing support to ensure our app is working properly. Our users are located in different countries, so we personalize many things based on their country of residency. Customers can also renew their policies and engage with our APIs.

What is the team composition?

We usually work with 3–4 developers.

How did you come to work with Thumbmunkeys?

I found them through a Google search. I talked to them on the phone and they seemed fantastic.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about £60,000–70,000 (approximately $80,000–$93,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our sales have gone up and we've seen a decrease in the number of bugs coming through our bug-tracking platforms. Also, our customers don't complain as they used to, which is a good sign.

How did Thumbmunkeys perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Kanban boards and other tools to keep the project on track. We also use Skype to stay in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their rates are reasonable and they've stayed within our budget. Also, they're very accessible, so I can get a hold of them when I need them. We can speak to developers directly, which helps us avoid any misunderstandings.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they've met our needs. They understand the Xamarin platform, so they can write reusable code and identify when things are not coded correctly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define the scope of work up front and give them enough information. Also, discuss your process and provide the screenshots of the workflow.